Every year, more than 5,600 people walk out of state prisons from incarceration in Colorado with a mere $100 to rebuild their lives after years of social and economic exclusion.
When I was released in 2010, I was terrified. Within minutes of leaving prison, I had to figure out how to pay for a place to live, how to buy food and how to get transportation and clothes so I could apply for a job. People being released in Colorado today receive $100 and a local bus ticket, nothing more. The rest of the reentry support, or lack thereof, is managed through the Colorado Department of Corrections Division of Adult Parole, which tends to be more punitive than supportive and requires people to immediately begin paying fines and fees to stay out and finish their parole on schedule. For me, being released without any substantial money or other resources felt like I was floating in an ocean without a life raft, and the thought of rebuilding my life from nothing seemed impossible.
Some formerly incarcerated people have the financial support of family members or a job waiting for them when they get out, but I had neither. I feared that without some security, I would have to make tough choices just to survive.
Sadly, I am reminded of that feeling every day when clients walk through the door at The Don’t Look Back Center, where I lead a team of care managers who provide a variety of services — primarily for the LGBTQIA+ reentry population — including substance use treatment services, mental health services, housing, clothing and food assistance.
Fortunately, Colorado’s reentry system can become the gold standard of the justice system, thanks to SB24-012, legislation introduced last month that would create a pilot program to provide formerly incarcerated people with critical financial assistance upon release. The pilot would provide up to $3,000 in direct cash payments to people enrolled in a job-training program — a novel idea considering that as much as 60% of all formerly incarcerated people remain unemployed four years after being released, according to the Prison Policy Initiative. The cost of the pilot, and how many people will receive the payments, will be determined by how much the legislature allocates.
I had the opportunity to testify, alongside others, at a Senate Judiciary hearing on Jan. 29, where I spoke about my experience and the impact such a program would have for my clients who are struggling to get on their feet following their release. The sponsors delayed a formal vote on the bill at the time while they continue to work with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to strengthen it and ensure it has the maximum impact for Coloradans.
It is estimated that approximately 80% of the 5,600 people released from Colorado prisons annually would participate in the workforce development services, and thereby be eligible to receive the payments.
The cash payments outlined in the bill would be distributed as people meet employment training milestones, and the money is intended to help cover essential expenses such as housing, food, clothes and transportation. This would alleviate some of the immediate financial insecurities a person returning from incarceration may have, and allows them to focus on reentry only.
For me personally, prison became a revolving door because the cards were stacked so high against me every time I got out. I was in and out of correctional institutions more than five times. And each time I was met with the grim reality that I had to be compliant with my release conditions without the resources to commit to the various service providers I needed to stay compliant with those conditions. When you’re forced to confront the most basic survival needs after being released, it makes it hard to succeed. Thousands of people face this same scenario everyday because of the current reentry policies in the criminal justice system.
These payments, paired with wraparound services including health care, transportation vouchers and nutritional assistance, would contribute to a successful transition. When your basic survival needs are met, it makes it easier to apply for jobs, attend recovery meetings and rebuild your life a little bit at a time — key elements of a good reentry plan.
Analysis of similar cash assistance programs has shown major benefits, including reduced recidivism, increased effectiveness of reentry programs and higher rates of employment.
Reentry cash also cushions some of the challenges of being denied government assistance that low-income people receive — such as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid and Social Security — because of prior arrests or incarceration.
The current system of throwing people to the side with nothing and expecting them to figure it out hasn’t worked. And it should be no surprise why.
Colorado has a unique opportunity to try something better — something that gives people a real chance at a better life, promotes public safety and lowers the burden on taxpayers — which currently stands at around $50,000 a year to incarcerate one person — by reducing recidivism. And best of all, it’s something we’ve already seen work.
Errol Flynn lives in Aurora and has a Masters of Social Work and leads a team of care managers at The Don’t Look Back Center. He spent many years in and out of prison before finally breaking the cycle of incarceration when he was released in 2010.
The Colorado Sun is a nonpartisan news organization, and the opinions of columnists and editorial writers do not reflect the opinions of the newsroom. Read our ethics policy for more on The Sun’s opinion policy. Learn how to submit a column. Reach the opinion editor at opinion@coloradosun.com.
Follow Colorado Sun Opinion on Facebook.